Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,068

Birşen

Birşen /biɾˈʃen/ ASCII Birsen

“one and cheerful; female name”1

Disputed origin Birşen: root entries for bir + şen · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
Compound
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
B
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How do you pronounce Birşen?

Birşen

IPA /biɾˈʃen/

The stress usually falls on syllable 2 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Birşen mean?

Bir “one, sole” joins şen “cheerful”: “uniquely cheerful, ever merry”. Birşen is a female given name. Nişanyan connects şen with Armenian šén “inhabited, thriving”.1

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. Nişanyan: şen is cognate with Armenian šén “inhabited, thriving”, from Middle Persian *šēn.
  2. Turkish Wiktionary: şen is of Persian origin.

What is Birşen made of?

Birşen combines Turkic and Armenian elements in 2 parts: bir (bir: one) + şen (şen: cheerful; thriving).

Birşen + root bir bir: one TURKIC bir “one; sole” root şen şen: cheerful; thriving ARMENIAN şen “cheerful; prosperous,populous” Birşen bir root bir: one bir TURKIC “one; sole” şen root şen: cheerful; thriving şen ARMENIAN “cheerful; prosperous, populous”
Birşen: parts and root words

How was the name Birşen formed?

Birşen was formed by joining bir (“bir: one”) and şen (“şen: cheerful; thriving”).

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.3

Which surnames are related to Birşen?

Birşen Şen Şener Şentürk Şenol Şengül Şenel
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Şen same root – –
02 Şener same root – –
03 Şentürk same root – –
04 Şenol same root – –
05 Şengül same root – –
06 Şenel same root – –
07 Şensoy same root – –
08 Şenocak same root – –
09 Şengün same root – –
10 Birol same root – –
11 Bircan same root – –
12 Şencan same root – –

Is Birşen also a first name?

Yes. Birşen is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “one and cheerful; female name”.

Birşen as a first name: meaning and statistics — turkiyenames.com →

How is Birşen written and pronounced abroad?

In foreign records the name often appears as Birsen: ş is written s or sh.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Birşen?

Şenkan, Ayral and Birkan share gloss keywords with Birşen within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Birşen?

Read the root, formation and register information for Birşen alongside these guides: How Turkish Surnames Are Formed: Roots and Suffixes and How to Pronounce and Spell Turkish Surnames.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: şen accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: şen accessed 9 November 2026
  3. 3 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Birşen

Q1

What does the surname Birşen mean?

Bir “one, sole” joins şen “cheerful”: “uniquely cheerful, ever merry”. Birşen is a female given name. Nişanyan connects şen with Armenian šén “inhabited, thriving”.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Birşen?

Birşen is made up of two elements: bir “one; sole” (Turkic) and şen “cheerful; prosperous, populous” (Armenian). There are 3 competing views on where Birşen comes from, all set out on this page.
Q3

How do you pronounce Birşen?

Bir·şen, 2 syllables; IPA: /biɾˈʃen/.